How many Michigan Democrats will vote for Rick Santorum?

The buzzy story of this, Michigan/Arizona primary day, is how Rick Santorum’s campaign launched a robo call Monday to Democratic voters, urging them to vote for him. Yes, really. It’s an open primary and voters can cast a ballot for either party. Here’s what it sounded like:

DailyKos czar Markos Moulitsas is urging this, and Michael Moore said his union buddies in Michigan will be voting for Santo to muck things up there. There are now a couple of similar come-hither robo calls hitting Democratic Michigan phones as we speak.

But how many votes are we talking here? How many Democrats are going to wake up in the 38-degree weather Tuesday, draw a deep breath and say, “You know, I’d like to cast a ballot for Rick Santorum — somebody with conservative positions like this” — just to mess with the election. Call us dubious, but waiting to see if this is more than just insider chatter/wishful thinking. Show us the exit polls!

Yes, John McCain beat George W. Bush in 2000 in Michigan, thanks in part to some Dems who backed him. But that incarnation of McCain was more middle-of-the road than Santorum. Should Santo win, remember that Michigan has a long history of picking winners….who never won the presidency.

Also remember Rush Limbaugh’s 2008 plan — which he dubbed Operation Chaos in which he urged Republicans to vote Hillary Clinton in 2008 open primaries? The thought was it would weaken her candidacy, giving the nomination to that newbie Sen. Obama, who Rush thought would be easier for the GOP to defeat.